Georgina and James Witchalls-Bolton in their new home in Dee Park, Reading (Picture: Supplied)

Living with parents isn’t always the easiest start to married life but one happy couple have finally bought their very own love nest.

Georgina and James Witchalls-Bolton spent seven years living at Georgina’s parents’ home in Tilehurst, Reading. They thought owning a their own home was out of their reach but then they found out about the Help to Buy scheme.

The first phase of Help to Buy, the equity loan scheme, was introduced ten months ago. It allows first-time buyers and movers who want to purchase a new-build to borrow 20 per cent of the property’s value from the government.

The loan attracts no fees for the first five years; all borrowers need is a five per cent deposit and a 75 per cent mortgage. The scheme is available for homes worth up to £600,000 in England and there is no cap on how much you can earn to qualify.

Thrilled to discover they could finally afford their own property, Georgina and James, both 24, bought a two-bedroom apartment at Dee Park, just outside Tilehurst, for £159,995. They paid a deposit of £8,000 and took out a mortgage for £120,000.

Unlike many couples starting out, they have managed to avoid hefty rents and have been able to move straight into their own home.

‘Without Help To Buy, we’d have had to wait a very long time to be able to save a deposit, even though we both work full time,’ says Georgina, who works for a finance company. ‘The scheme is great, it has allowed us to avoid paying sky-high rent – essentially paying off someone else’s mortgage.’

Georgina and James’s new apartment is bright, spacious and has its own balcony and parking bay. The pair spotted Dee Park on an advertising hoarding before they married last May but never dreamed that they could afford to live there.

‘To be honest, we never thought we’d be able to afford to move in to our own place so soon after we got married,’ says Georgina.

The couple say they appreciate having their own space at long last and love where Dee Park is located. James, a landscaper, travels around for work so being just four miles from the M4 is a bonus. Georgina has just a 20-minute drive to work in Reading or uses the development’s regular bus service.

Everything they want is on the doorstep. ‘Dee Park’s a great place to live,’ says Georgina. ‘There’s a nearby gym, a large Asda, a big Tesco and Reading town centre isn’t far – it’s fantastic. Now we’ve done it, all our friends who are struggling to save a deposit hope to move here too.’

Estate agent Hamptons International says the development’s affordability is attracting buyers from London. Tilehurst has a choice of nursery, primary and secondary schools and Reading was recently voted one of Britain’s top 20 retail destinations.